Nintendo Confirms Second Generation Wii Console for 2012

One thing you learn in Boy Scouts is that where there's smoke, there's usually fire. We bring this up because there's been a lot of smoke lately about Nintendo's second generation Wii console, and as we suspected, it wasn't unfounded. Nintendo today confirmed that, yes, it's working on a successor to the Wii, and yes, it will launch in 2012.

"Nintendo Co., LTD. has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011," Nintendo said.

An exclusive first look at the Wii 2...sike! What you're seeing is a gold-plated Wii, produced by THQ and presented to the Queen of England to mark the launch BIG Family Games for the Wii back in 2009 (Image Credit: bornrich.com)

So will this new console support HD? A new online infrastructure? Motion controls? Storage space? Slow down little Johnny, those are good questions, all of them, unfortunately Nintendo isn't yet ready to divulge those details. You won't have to wait long, however, as the company will will show off the system at E3.

"We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles," Nintendo said.